New Salem, Witch Island

The Gnomes

Some say real gnomes do live in the woods of the Island but when the average Islander says “gnomes,” they are not talking about short, magical repairers of shoes.

They mean troupes of black-clad men and women who operate covertly in and around the township. Armed with a variety of unconventional yet distinctly modern weapons: – stun batons, compressed gas dart guns and the like – they often wear helmets with ultraviolet flash lights affixed to either side. The pale green glow of the UV lights have the appearance of unblinking eyes set monstrously far apart. Hence their supernatural nickname.

Primarily they clean up “breeches” (incidents where humans have seen or obtained evidence of Witchly powers) with varying degrees of violence to Witch and witness. But they have also been seen in the woods, gathering ritualistically around great fires or running in wild, silent packs, hunting some elusive prey.

The identity and origins of the Gnomes is a mystery. Mayor Barnabas Grey has been seen talking to one or more of them near City Hall so it is assumed that he knows the nature of the Gnomes and allows if not controls their activities. But this is just an assumption as the normally chatty Grey has nothing to say on this matter.